Sometimes the condition everyone is focused on turns out to have very little to do with the question the court is trying to answer. I've often found myself sitting across from someone during a forensic evaluation, listening as they tell me their story. They explain what happened. They tell me about a diagnosis they've lived with for years, a condition they're being treated for, or medications they take. Sometimes they'll pull out a medication list, show me photos of all their

The presence of a psychological issue doesn't necessarily mean forensic expertise is needed. What matters is whether psychology can help address a question relevant to the case. Mental health issues appear in legal cases all the time. A person may have a psychiatric diagnosis. Someone may be receiving therapy. There may be a history of trauma, substance use, unusual behavior, cognitive difficulties, or previous psychological treatment. But the presence of any of these things

The difference matters more than you might think. One of the things I've noticed in my work with attorneys is that they ask good questions. A lot of them. And I welcome that. Forensic psychology sits at the intersection of two professions—psychology and law—that don't always speak the same language. Attorneys understand the legal questions they're trying to answer. Psychologists understand human behavior, psychological assessment, diagnosis, and the limits of what our science